ABOUT
Road racing and mountain biking relate easily to the average rider's view of cycling. Track cycling does not.
In track cycling, the riders go nowhere, just around and around an oval track banked at 42 degrees. The track's name - the velodrome - sounds space-age, and the helmets, suits and bikes bearing no resemblance to a common two-wheeler more closely resemble something out of Star Wars.
Those idiosyncrasies grew out of years of refinement, though. All were aimed at helping man push bicycles faster and faster.
The aerodynamic "funny bikes" of today offer greater speed than ever, despite their poorer manoeuvrability that leaves them ill-suited to pack racing.
The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, in particular, fielded a wave of futuristic machines, including the debut of the spokeless, carbon-fibre disc wheel.
Another revolution occurred in the 1992 Barcelona Games, where Great Britain's Chris Boardman won his country's first cycling gold medal since 1920. Boardman broke world records and lapped the world champion in the final with a bike fully utilising carbon-fibre technology and aerodynamic cross-sections, weighing less than nine kilograms.
Track cycling evolved again during the Sydney 2000 Games, with a new range of races. Women competed in a 500-metre time trial, and men added the keirin, Madison and Olympic sprint races.
COMPETITION
The full programme includes individual and team events, sprint and endurance races, pursuits, time trials and first-over-the-line finishes. The time trial, sprint, individual pursuit and points race include events for men and women. The 4000m team pursuit, Madison, keirin and Olympic sprint involve only men.
The Madison is a mass-start event comprising teams of two riders per team. It is similar to a team points race, as points are awarded to the top finishers at the intermediate sprints and for the finishing sprint. Only one of the two team riders is on the track at any one time, riding for a number of laps, and then exchanging with his partner, who is propelled onto the track by a hand sling from the cyclist leaving the track.
The keirin is one of the most exciting events in cycling because of the speeds. The event is a 2000 metre paced event in which the riders ride behind a motorised derny, which increases the potential speeds. The derny paces the riders for 1400 metres and then pulls off the track, at which time the cyclists begin a furious sprint to the finish. Keirin racing has traditionally been practised in Japan, where it has been a professional sport for over 20 years, and in which pari-mutuel betting on the riders is permitted.
The Olympic sprint is a team sprint event, with each team consisting of three riders. Two teams compete against each other, starting on opposite sides of the track, with the goal being to catch the other team, or finish three laps of the track first. Each of the three riders leads their team for a single lap. The time for the final rider to finish the third lap is the time for the team.
Road racing and mountain biking relate easily to the average rider's view of cycling. Track cycling does not.
In track cycling, the riders go nowhere, just around and around an oval track banked at 42 degrees. The track's name - the velodrome - sounds space-age, and the helmets, suits and bikes bearing no resemblance to a common two-wheeler more closely resemble something out of Star Wars.
Those idiosyncrasies grew out of years of refinement, though. All were aimed at helping man push bicycles faster and faster.
The aerodynamic "funny bikes" of today offer greater speed than ever, despite their poorer manoeuvrability that leaves them ill-suited to pack racing.
The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, in particular, fielded a wave of futuristic machines, including the debut of the spokeless, carbon-fibre disc wheel.
Another revolution occurred in the 1992 Barcelona Games, where Great Britain's Chris Boardman won his country's first cycling gold medal since 1920. Boardman broke world records and lapped the world champion in the final with a bike fully utilising carbon-fibre technology and aerodynamic cross-sections, weighing less than nine kilograms.
Track cycling evolved again during the Sydney 2000 Games, with a new range of races. Women competed in a 500-metre time trial, and men added the keirin, Madison and Olympic sprint races.
COMPETITION
The full programme includes individual and team events, sprint and endurance races, pursuits, time trials and first-over-the-line finishes. The time trial, sprint, individual pursuit and points race include events for men and women. The 4000m team pursuit, Madison, keirin and Olympic sprint involve only men.
The Madison is a mass-start event comprising teams of two riders per team. It is similar to a team points race, as points are awarded to the top finishers at the intermediate sprints and for the finishing sprint. Only one of the two team riders is on the track at any one time, riding for a number of laps, and then exchanging with his partner, who is propelled onto the track by a hand sling from the cyclist leaving the track.
The keirin is one of the most exciting events in cycling because of the speeds. The event is a 2000 metre paced event in which the riders ride behind a motorised derny, which increases the potential speeds. The derny paces the riders for 1400 metres and then pulls off the track, at which time the cyclists begin a furious sprint to the finish. Keirin racing has traditionally been practised in Japan, where it has been a professional sport for over 20 years, and in which pari-mutuel betting on the riders is permitted.
The Olympic sprint is a team sprint event, with each team consisting of three riders. Two teams compete against each other, starting on opposite sides of the track, with the goal being to catch the other team, or finish three laps of the track first. Each of the three riders leads their team for a single lap. The time for the final rider to finish the third lap is the time for the team.
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